A private driver in New York City is a car you book ahead of time. The driver picks you up at the address and time you choose and takes you where you need to go, for one trip or for a block of hours. It sits between a yellow cab and a full luxury chauffeur service: you plan it in advance, you pick the type of vehicle, and the driver is there for your trip instead of cruising for the next street hail. This guide explains how it works across the five boroughs and the three airports, when it's worth booking one, and when the subway is honestly the smarter call.
What is a private driver service in NYC?
A private driver service is a pre-arranged ride: you book in advance, choose the vehicle, and a driver picks you up at the address and time you set. Nobody hails it on the street, and you don't share it with other passengers. In New York it belongs to the same family as car services and black cars, which work by reservation. Yellow and green taxis are different: they pick up people who wave them down.
The names get mixed up a lot. “Private driver”, “car service”, “black car” and “chauffeur” all describe a booked car with a driver. What changes is the vehicle and how long the driver stays with you. A car service is usually a point-to-point trip in a sedan or SUV. A chauffeur or black car service usually means a higher-end vehicle and, often, a driver who stays with you for several hours.
How is a private driver different from a taxi or a rideshare app?
The main difference is planning. A taxi or a rideshare is what you can get right now. A private driver is something you set up beforehand, with the pickup time, the vehicle and the route agreed before the day of the trip. In practice that changes four things:
- Pickup: yellow taxis take street hails anywhere in the city, and green Boro Taxis take hails in the outer boroughs and northern Manhattan. A private driver comes to the address you booked.
- Vehicle: with a taxi you get whichever car stops. With a private driver you choose a sedan, an SUV, a wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV) or a black car when you book.
- Price: yellow taxis run on the meter, with a TLC flat fare between JFK and Manhattan (check the current amount with the TLC). Rideshare prices rise and fall with demand. With a private driver, you get the price from the app or the phone line when you book.
- Stops and waiting: a cab ride ends when you get out. An hourly or as-directed booking keeps the same car and driver with you between stops.
None of this makes one option better across the board. For a short, unplanned ride inside Midtown, a yellow cab is hard to beat. A private driver makes more sense when the timing, the luggage, the type of vehicle or the number of stops matter.
How does hourly or as-directed service work?
With hourly service you book the car and driver for a block of time instead of a single trip from A to B. “As directed” means the driver follows your plan during that block. You can add a stop, have the driver wait outside a meeting, or change the order of your errands without booking a new ride each time. That's what most people mean when they search for an hourly car service in NYC.
It works best for days with several stops, sometimes in different boroughs. A few typical examples:
- Picking up a relative at LaGuardia, stopping at their hotel to drop the bags, then going on to dinner in the Bronx.
- A morning of meetings that starts in Brooklyn, continues in Midtown Manhattan and ends in Long Island City.
- Rides to and between two or three medical appointments on the same day for an older parent, with the same driver in between.
- A day of apartment viewings or shopping, without carrying bags on the subway.
When you book, say how many hours you need and give a rough list of stops. If the plan changes during the day, tell the driver or call the office. Whether a booking can be extended depends on that day's schedule, so ask early rather than at the last minute.
When is a private driver worth it, and when isn't it?
A private driver is worth it when the ride itself matters. That means you're carrying luggage, traveling with kids or a wheelchair, working to a tight schedule or making several stops, or you just don't want to stand on a curb looking for a cab. It's rarely worth it for a solo trip with a backpack between two stops on the same subway line.
To be straight about it: the subway runs 24 hours a day and reaches most of Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens and the Bronx. From JFK, the AirTrain connects to the subway and the LIRR at Jamaica, and to the A train at Howard Beach. If you travel light and know the system, transit is usually the cheaper way to go. A booked car starts to make sense in situations like these:
- You arrive with more than one large suitcase or a stroller.
- You're traveling as a family or a group and want everyone and the luggage in one vehicle.
- You leave before dawn or come back late at night and want the ride arranged ahead of time.
- Someone in your party uses a wheelchair and needs a WAV with a ramp or lift.
- You have meetings in more than one borough on the same day.
- You're going to Staten Island, eastern Queens or parts of the Bronx where the subway doesn't reach well.
Which vehicle should you book?
Choose by passengers and luggage first, and by comfort second. For everyday trips Ready Go works with four vehicle types, and it also runs a separate luxury chauffeur service:
- Private sedan: for most solo trips and couples with regular luggage.
- SUV: for families, groups, or anyone with several large bags.
- Wheelchair accessible vehicle (WAV): for riders who stay in their wheelchair during the trip. It's a different vehicle, so ask for it specifically when you book.
- Black car: a more formal ride for business travel or picking up a client.
On the luxury chauffeur side, the sedans include the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (S 550), BMW 7 Series, Audi A8 L, Lexus LS 500 and a Cadillac Black Edition sedan. The SUVs include the Cadillac Escalade, Lincoln Navigator, GMC Yukon Denali, Chevrolet Suburban, Range Rover and Mercedes-Benz GLS or Mercedes-Maybach GLS. You can book them per trip, by the hour or as directed, and the exact model is confirmed when you book.
Can a private driver pick you up at JFK, LaGuardia or Newark?
Yes. Ready Go covers JFK and LaGuardia, both in Queens, and Newark Liberty in New Jersey, for drop-offs and pickups. Airport trips are where a pre-booked car helps most, because you usually arrive with luggage and a fixed schedule.
For a pickup, give your airline, flight number, arrival time and number of bags when you book. Your reservation confirms where you meet the driver. Each airport sets its own curb and parking rules, and they can change, so follow the instructions you receive instead of assuming.
If you're heading into Manhattan, our guides to JFK to Manhattan, LaGuardia to Manhattan and Newark to Manhattan compare every option side by side, train included.
How do you book a private driver with Ready Go?
You can book in the Ready Go app for iOS or Android, by phone at 212-448-1088 or 917-562-8568, or by WhatsApp. Scheduled reservations run Monday through Saturday. You get the price from the app or from the person who takes your call, and you pay Ready Go directly.
To make the booking quick, have this ready:
- Pickup address, date and time, plus the destination or your list of stops.
- Number of passengers and bags.
- Vehicle type: sedan, SUV, WAV, black car or a luxury model.
- Per trip, hourly or as directed, and how many hours if it's hourly.
- For airports: airline, flight number and terminal if you know it.
- Anything the driver should know, such as a wheelchair or a building with a side entrance.